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Prime Minister Starmer traveled to north Wales this past Thursday to declare the development of a fresh nuclear energy facility. This represents a significant policy event with both local and national implications. Yet, the PM did not devote extensive time in Wales to advocating answers for the UK's energy needs. Instead, he spent it attempting to draw a line under the briefing controversy within Labour's leadership, informing reporters that No 10 had not briefed against the health secretary's goals earlier this week.

Therefore, Sir Keir’s day served as a small-scale example of what his premiership has now become more generally. On the one hand, he desires his administration to be doing, and to be seen to be doing, significant actions. Conversely, he is incapable to accomplish this because of the way he – and, to an extent, the nation more generally – now practices political and governmental affairs.

Sir Keir cannot transform the culture of politics single-handedly, but he is able to do something about his own role in it. The simple truth is that he could manage the centre of government much more effectively than he currently does. If he did this, he could discover that the country was in less despair about his government than it currently is, and that he was communicating his points more successfully.

Staffing Issues in Downing Street

A number of the problems in Number 10 relate to individuals. The interpersonal relations of every Downing Street operation are difficult to discern well from outside. Yet it appears clear that Sir Keir does not make sound staffing decisions, or maintain them. Maybe he is overly occupied. Possibly he lacks genuine interest. But he needs to up his game, avoid slow progress or incompletely.

• He dithered about assigning the key job of cabinet secretary to a senior official.
• He made Sue Gray his top aide, then replaced her with Morgan McSweeney.
• He recruited Darren Jones in from the finance ministry as his deputy.
• His media advisors have chopped and changed.
• Political and policy advisers have come and gone.
• It is a mess.

Systemic Issues at the Core of the Administration

Every prime minister spend too much time overseas and on international matters, where Sir Keir should delegate more, and insufficient time conversing with MPs and listening to the public. Premiers also spend too much time engaging with the press, which Sir Keir compounds by performing inadequately. But premiers cannot claim to be surprised when their political appointees, who tend to be party loyalists or politically ambitious, overstep boundaries or become the focus, as Mr McSweeney now has.

The biggest issues, though, are structural. It would be good to believe that Sir Keir reviewed the Institute for Government’s March 2024 report on overhauling the government's central operations. His inability to grip these issues last July or since implies he did not. The frequently dismal experience of Labour’s time in office indicates IfG proposals like restructuring the roles of the central government office and Downing Street, and dividing the positions of top official and head of the civil service, are currently critical.

The political pre-eminence of prime ministers greatly exceeds the assistance provided to them. Consequently, all aspects suffer, and many tasks are poorly executed or neglected.

This is not Sir Keir’s fault alone. He is the victim of previous shortcomings as well as the architect of present ones. But those who hoped Sir Keir might get a grip on the core and prioritize governmental structures have been let down. Unfortunately, the biggest loser from this shortcoming is Sir Keir personally.